I'm Ready Are You?
by uxorious
Summary: An alternate scenario to events from 'Retrial'


May Challenge: Harm: Only when I look at you. Or hear you speak.

Title: I'm Ready – Are You?

North Union Station

Friday evening, 2017

Harm closed his eyes and pursed his lips as he turned the key to enter his apartment. He opened the door, picked his briefcase back up, entered, shut the door, and stood for two solid minutes, staring straight ahead before he placed his briefcase down. He removed his cover, set it on his desk, and let out a long, tired sigh.

'Man, WHEN will I get it right?! WHAT was I THINKING!? WHY did I say that?! How she LOOKED at me as she responded that she's not into sharing! I'm SUCH a jerk!

He lifted his hands up toward his head, in exasperation: 'And then later she wouldn't even take the elevator down with me to leave the office – she looked at me without saying ANYTHING….just shook her head and motioned with her wounded eyes for me to go on ahead …WHAT was THAT about?!'

As he moved his hand to rub his lower jaw to try to soothe his nerves, he felt it. He brought his palm in eyesight and there it was, right on the tips of his fingers – PINK LIPSTICK! He high-tailed it upstairs to his bathroom and frantically looked in the mirror.

'Ah, crap – that STUPID kiss – that flirty Professor – she just HAD to slobber on my jaw! First I was flattered, but, actually, I was rather taken aback – it was so inappropriate and I TOTALLY forgot about it! No wonder – between my asinine remark and then the lips – Mac must think I'm the biggest b.s.'er around. DANG!

That's IT – no more waiting around, Marine – the more time and space I give you, the more time and chances it gives ME to screw things up. The more space it gives ME to fall over my feet on the way to my MOUTH! You just better be home, woman. Let me get out of my whites and into something comfortable and cool. I want you – ONLY you – and tonight I'm gonna let you KNOW it, if it's the last and ONLY thing I do!'

_Meanwhile_

Mac's Apartment

Friday evening, 2047

With pursed lips, Mac scrunched her nose and eyes as she hurriedly scrubbed and scrubbed her scalp. As the tension barely started to ease, she slapped some almond-scented conditioner onto her head. Finally, with a BIT of grace, she soothingly and slickly rinsed her hair out.

"OK – good start – it felt _great _washing that man out of my hair'.

Now, Mac fiddled the plug and started to run her bath. She poured a huge dollop of her favorite moisturizing foaming product into the streaming water and gently descended into the tub.

'Ahhhh – just what I need! Once I soak all the hassles and hurts of the day away and down the drain, HOPEFULLY, I'll finally feel like having something to eat! Insufferable – that's what he is!!!! Imagine – getting to me to the point of losing my infamous appetite! I will NEVER let a man affect me – ever again – like this! As Mr. Darcy once said – 'I will conquer this – I must'!

Her hair was now squeaky clean and just damp and she gathered it up and pinned it, with a pretty pearl hair clip, into a loose swirl on top of her head. She closed her eyes and lay her head back against the terry-cloth heart-shaped cushion at the top of the tub. She let out a determined sigh as she relaxed in the bubbly, rose-scented steam. Her body was unwinding nicely – even becoming deliciously limp. She actually felt herself starting to doze off. Suddenly, she sat up straight in the tub, tensely gripping the sides so as not to slip, as she splashed some water and bubbles onto the floor.

'Blast it – ROSES – accchhhh --- HIM – why does it ALWAYS come back to HIM! Mister – 'together, like we planned'!!!!!! HA! Just who does he think he's kidding?! Why, he's just a taller, better-looking, more successful version of Morris Renfield – that's all! What does he think – I would be his 'work wife', Professor Montes would be his 'civilian wife', and lord knows who next would he come up with to be his 'stay-at-home-pregnant-and-barefoot' wife….oh, and let's not forget the posh socialite who would be the 'wife he brings home to cavort around Cali with his family with'! How DARE he make that remark to me!? And then later, did he HAVE to FLAUNT his point to me?! I get it—Harm – you're the MAN – too much man for just little ole me – poor ole Mac! You exist to please women – any and all the women you want – you and your HAREM – Hmmmmppffff! Well, guess what, buddy – you can kiss this little green Marine butt good-bye, cause I ain't interested!' I want someone to love ALL of me and ONLY me. And when I give MY heart, soul, and body – it will be for ONE man, one SPECIAL man – MY man. I still believe in 'the one' special person for me. I thought I found him – but ….

_And, as if on cue:_

From behind the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar, just as Mac sees his big hand reaching for the knob to push the door further open, Harm murmurs: " You did, Mac --- I AM 'the one' for you – only you, Sarah"

"EEEEEEkkkkkk, Harm!!!! Mac screeched as she stretched her one arm out to shut the door to prevent him from coming in while splashing bubbles up and around her naked form with her other arm. "Are you CRAZY – what are you doing here?! How did you get in?! Don't you come a millimeter further! WHAT were you THINKING!"

Harm, rattled, but still determined, stood in her living room now, and with his hands up in surrender, even though Mac couldn't see him, shouted: "Mac, first of all – don't worry – I wasn't going to barge into your bathroom – I just wanted you to quickly see that it WAS me. I didn't see a thing!

Although, he DID catch an enticing glimpse of her luscious body and boy, did he like what he saw!

He continued: "I didn't mean to startle you, but I was banging outside your apartment door for 5 minutes and then I kept hearing the water running, so I DID do some pretty QUICK THINKING, Mac, and decided to use my key – hell, for all I knew, you were face down in the tub – I felt I HAD to let myself in."

Mac was silent as she frowned and nodded and rolled her eyes while quickly getting out of the tub, drying herself off and slipping into her green USMC sweatshorts, matching green bra, a pink ribbed undershirt, and her Energizer Bunny fluffy slippers.

Harm: "Mac! Are you there? Did you hear what I just said?!"

Mac, waltzing out into her living room, with arms folded, calmly offered: "I hear you. Sorry I thwarted your latest would-be save, Superman. Harm, what are you doing here?"

Harm, looking Mac up and down, with great appreciation at her scrubbed and sporty, yet very sexy look, shook his head and also frowned and rolled his eyes at the Superman reference, and said: "C'mon, Mac – I heard you in there before – THAT'S why I'm here – I wanted to apologize for my remark today, clear the air – explain what you saw today.

Mac: "Harm – you have nothing to apologize or explain – what you do and who you want to spend your time with is none of my business – the first two buttons of your fly are undone"

Harm, looking down at the fly of his Levi's, excitedly exclaimed back while animatedly pacing and pointing at Mac : "See, see – this is what I mean about you – you're deflecting, Mac, you're running from me, pushing me away! I know about the buttons – since we've stopped our running together, I've put on a few pounds and can only fit into these jeans with three buttons closed. Love the bunny slippers, Mac."

Mac, arms still folded, looked down to her slippers and smiled: "Yeah, I love them, too --they're SO comfy – Harriet and Carolyn Imes gave them to me as a joke birthday present awhile ago", then stood up straight and very guarded, snapped again: "I am NOT running or deflecting, Harm – I'm just….I'm just facing the truth! I saw how cozy you two were in your office this week – she was looking at you and your model Steerman all goo-goo eyed and you seemed to be 'all there' with her and her (now Mac was waving her arms around) perky winks and Steerman granddaddy remark! Sorry about your little belly popping out"

Harm, raising his voice a bit: "Cozy?! Mac, I was working on a case with her – an unprecedented 'retrial'! And, for the record – her 'perky' winks annoyed the hell out of me and I almost gagged when she mentioned her grandfather also had a Steerman!" Now, Harm stood up very tall and pointed at Mac again and in a sing-song voice, whined: "Wait a minute – you were JEALOUS!" Now Harm was feeling VERY hopeful – if Mac was jealous, then she DID have feelings for him – she was in love with him! "You were acting all professional and complimentary to her, but deep down, you were SEETHING – come to think of it, you DID have that 'stay away from my man' vibe going on! Mac, how long will it take me to shed this belly if we started running again?"

Mac, wide-eyed: "I had NO such VIBE going on and I was NOT jealous…..well, maybe just a little (showing him with a hand sign), but that was ONLY because I THOUGHT we were moving forward, getting somewhere. What you said at the Admiral's Dining Out…. Harm, I believed you…."

Harm took Mac's hand and walked over to the couch with her. They sat down, facing each other.

Harm: "Mac, I meant every word. And it's not because I feel sorry or obligated or empty without Mattie or for any other reason other than 'I love you'. I want YOU, Mac – only you." He curled his lip up as he said: "You're kind of like 'every woman', to me, Mac – a friend, a colleague, my sparring partner, and my love! Mac, I want to marry you, have children and raise a family with you….no matter how it happens – I want it to happen with you – ONLY you. Only when I look at you or hear you speak or take in your lovely scent as you walk by or touch you or hold you in my arms (as he takes her in his arms) or kiss you (he softly kisses her), do I feel sure that I've found the ONE and ONLY person who I want to share my love and life with. It's funny because I think I've felt this way since the day I met you! I DID 'let go' in here (pointing to his heart), but I fought 'letting go' up here (pointing to his head) because I didn't want us to suffer our careers – especially you. You worked so hard at overcoming your past and becoming the outstanding, lovely woman you are. I think it's why I came up with that baby deal, in the first place – I wanted to make sure you would always be in my life – be mine – and we would be together. Mac, it's always been you – through Annie, and Jordan, and Renee, all the Alicias in the world and lord knows who else – I've loved YOU! And they all KNEW it – you know that. It's like we were tailor- made for each other – we belong together."

Mac, caressing his face and body: "I love you, too, Harm. Let's move on – together, like we planned. I DO want a life and a family with you. Let's start looking into all those options -- together." And, as she patted his little belly,purred into his ear and said: "Oh, and, Harm, let's start on getting this down, together – like it was – hit the floor and give me 50!"

Harm, grabbing her and dragging her onto the floor with him, pinning her underneath him as he purred RIGHT BACK into her lips: "Oh, I'll give you 50, all right – only after we first start on one of those baby-making options – together! I'm ready – are you?!"


End file.
